We are appalled at the violence that took place on the campus of UCLA last night. The abhorrent actions of a few counter-protestors last night do not represent the Jewish community or our values. We believe in peaceful, civic discourse and the enforcement of school policy regarding encampments. We sent this letter to Chancellor Block, Executive Vice Chancellor Hunt, and Administrative Vice Chancellor Beck yesterday.
Unfortunately, the violence at UCLA is a result of the lack of leadership from the Chancellor and the UCLA administration. The Chancellor has allowed for an environment to be created over many months that has made students feel unsafe, allowed for illegal encampments in violation of its own laws, refused to censure faculty and staff who flouted UCLA’s Code of Conduct, and has been systemically slow to respond when law enforcement is desperately needed. His failed leadership has enabled the chaos we witnessed last night.
We call on the Chancellor and UCLA to immediately close the encampment and reestablish deterrence. We also call on the Chancellor to meet with leaders of the Jewish community and with elected officials to articulate how UCLA will ensure Jewish safety and safety for all on campus, and establish long-term security plans to prevent any future violence.
The Federation stands with all students and faculty at UCLA who respect the rule of law and maintain positive civic discourse.
We also join our partners at Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) in calling for the House today to pass H.R. 6090, also known as the “Antisemitism Awareness Act.”
This bill will help combat antisemitism on campus and will strengthen the tools available to government officials when identifying instances of antisemitism. Given the current climate on college campuses, this legislation is desperately needed.
Please send a message to your representative to urge them to support this crucial bill.
Am Yisrael Chai,
Orna Wolens
Chair of the Board
Rabbi Noah Farkas
President & CEO
